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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25031914">Dead Meat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/127ghouls/pseuds/127ghouls'>127ghouls</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Eventual Romance, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Science Fiction, Secret Crush, Thriller, Virtual Reality, Zombie Apocalypse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:27:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25031914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/127ghouls/pseuds/127ghouls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wherein Jaehyun and Taeyong drunkenly play a disastrous and apocalyptic virtual reality game, and finally confess to each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Lee Taeyong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>WorthAKingsRansom</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dead Meat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valentine_watashi_no_namae/gifts">Valentine_watashi_no_namae</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It's NOT crack, only sounds like it hhhhh and I swear it's better than what the summary says...….</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The professor’s voice drones on and on in the background, his words passing through Jaehyun’s left ear and quickly exiting his right. They come and leave unregistered, unremembered, as his attention glues itself on the ticking clock on the floor right above the white board filled out with different mathematical formula.</p><p>His patience is running dry, alright. It seems like 50% of it was poured out on Monday alone and he’s been struggling to divide as much as he could over the remaining days and <em>now,</em> now that it’s Friday – thank goodness, he’s <em>itching </em>to storm out of the room and push this class at the back of his mind until the next week rolls.</p><p>Whatever homework or project there is isn’t even going to take over him this weekend because Jaehyun’s weekends are solely for Taeyong, and Taeyong only.</p><p>Okay, maybe he should include their common friends because they’re nice and cool and he loves them too, but Taeyong is on another level. Taeyong is Jaehyun’s favorite friend, his favorite person, the boy he’s been crushing on since forever, the boy he doesn’t forget to include in his birthday wishes – and whatever occasion wishes, honestly.</p><p>He’s so whipped and Jaehyun wants to cry. Above that, though, he wants to finally man up and confess before someone else does it and takes his best friend away from him. Not good. Jaehyun won’t let it happen.</p><p>But the question is, when is he going to do it?</p><p>The bell rings and Jaehyun scrambles to gather his papers on the desk, messily stuffing them in his backpack that is already half full of crumpled trash, and rushes out of the room like his life depends on inviting Taeyong back to his dorm room to play Animal Crossing with him for at least three hours.</p><p>He’d bet that it’s actually true!</p><p>Taeyong’s in a different department – Literature (where kind, angelic people who speak flowery words – and are equally flowery-looking) – so his classes are held in the other building. But Jaehyun has no qualms running and squeezing through flocks of students just to quench his excitement. It’s not like today is their first time to play Animal Crossing together, but Friday is the day they both promised to spend just with each other.</p><p>Unless there’s a change of plans.</p><p>Literature people are calmer and more proper based on Jaehyun’s observations. The difference waves at his face each time he comes over their building. It’s quiet, peaceful, and quite relaxing, he must say. They don’t really give him enough reason to paint them in a bad light unless they’re taking up Taeyong’s time, which is supposed to be Jaehyun’s, like what’s happening right before his eyes.</p><p>Jaehyun lingers at the doorway as Taeyong’s classmates huddle around him, chatting about something he barely hears. His eyes then zoom into the boy’s figure – tiny and soft and adorable in his oversized hoodie and tight jeans. Taeyong’s wearing those self-customized shoes with painted flowers and some other cartoons. His light blue hair is down, flat and bouncy, accentuating the huge black pools of his eyes.</p><p>If it wasn’t so humiliating to collapse and cry over his crush while strangers watch, Jaehyun would’ve done it long ago.</p><p>“Jaehyunie?”</p><p>He blinks twice and finally takes in the way Taeyong’s smile widens when their eyes meet. Jaehyun has to dramatically clutch his chest to calm his rapidly beating heart before stepping inside Taeyong’s room, holding back a smirk once the other’s classmates automatically disperse to give way to him. At least, they know who’s the real deal.</p><p>“Why were you just standing there? Were you waiting for me?” Taeyong giggles and wears his cute little backpack with angel wings (Jaehyun is two seconds away from sobbing) before habitually patting Jaehyun’s head. “Want to get something to eat first?”</p><p>Before he gives in to the temptation of actually shedding a few tears, he makes a noise of agreement and throws an arm around Taeyong’s shoulders as they leave, finding a topic to talk about while heading to the nearest convenience store near the university.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Assorted bags of snacks are open and left lying around them in bed as they get serious with the game. Truth be told, Jaehyun is not very much into it, only playing it because Taeyong likes it. And he heard one time that people tend to fall for those who share the same interest and if Taeyong’s into these cutesy games, then who is Jaehyun to think it’s not fun? Even if Taeyong tells him one day he likes his chicken dipped in wasabi, then Jaehyun will go through heaven and hell to search for the best ingredients in making his very own, special wasabi.</p><p>At this point, one of their common friends said, Jaehyun should be going down on one knee to propose marriage to Taeyong.</p><p>Sounds like a good plan, but too risky. So, he writes it down last on his mental list of how to sweep Taeyong off his feet. Jaehyun has prepared a few, rational and practical options to make Taeyong fall in love with him. But like what was said earlier, he has no idea when to execute them.</p><p>“You’re not playing,” Taeyong pouts as he peers over Jaehyun’s Switch. “Are you bored?”</p><p>Jaehyun contemplates whether it’d be fine to lie so Taeyong won’t be sad or it’d be much better to just be honest and bear looking at the other’s crestfallen expression.</p><p>He puts the Switch down and mentally beats himself when he sees Taeyong’s kicked puppy eyes. “I’m a little stressed because of class, so I guess I’m just a little out of it?” Desperate to get rid of that look on Taeyong’s face, he smiles and lies down, resting his head on the other’s lap. “Tell me about your day? It’s more fun.”</p><p>“Whatever happened to me today is more fun?” Taeyong tilts his head in confusion, putting his own Switch away as well to keep his hands busy this time with mindlessly playing with Jaehyun’s hair.</p><p>The younger fights the urge to close his eyes, but Taeyong’s touches are so nice and he feels the stress leave him little by little. “What I mean is, it’s more fun to listen to you talk. I could just let you talk about everything you want to talk about it and it wouldn’t bore me. I swear,” Jaehyun chuckles as Taeyong squints at him. “Your voice is really soft and when you talk about something you like, you have these tiny sparkles in your eyes, like they catch all the light in the room.”</p><p>If this isn’t what a confession is supposed to be like, then Jaehyun doesn’t know anymore what is. He’s so nervous as he waits for Taeyong to say something.</p><p>“I look like that when I talk?” Taeyong has a finger pressed on his lower lip while staring at Jaehyun with wide, curious eyes. “<em>Oh. </em>Are you happy when I’m happy?” He asks, combing Jaehyun’s hair. “If it makes you happy, then I’ll keep talking.”</p><p>Then he giggles, unknowingly fueling all the love Jaehyun has for him. “You’re so cute, Jaehyun. What am I gonna do with you?”</p><p><em>Kiss me,</em> the voice in his head echoes. But he’s too much of a coward so Jaehyun contents himself with pinching Taeyong’s cheek and pulling out a whine from him.</p><p>Taeyong’s phone beeps with an incoming message. He briefly peels himself from Jaehyun to get the thing out of his bag, jutting out his lower lip. “It’s from Yuta. He’s asking if we want to meet them.”</p><p>“But it’s our day today.”</p><p>“I know, but he said we could crash his apartment later and we…we…”</p><p>Jaehyun frowns when Taeyong stops reading the text and his cheeks turn a bright red. The young sits up in worry. “What’s up?”</p><p>Taeyong purses his lips and slips his phone in his pocket before hopping off the bed. “Nothing important!” He says, but it looks like that’s not the case from the way he avoids looking at Jaehyun. “We should join them, hm? I think they really want to hang out.”</p><p>Disappointment settles in Jaehyun’s chest. Not once did they ever failed their Friday tradition, but here Taeyong is, already putting his shoes on and expecting Jaehyun to do the same.</p><p>But what right does Jaehyun have to complain? Isn’t it one of his promises to do whatever makes Taeyong happy?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They arrive at the burger joint and instantly spots Yuta and Johnny occupying a booth at the very corner.</p><p>Yuta raises his brows at the sight of Taeyong and Jaehyun. “Eh? I thought you’re not coming. You didn’t reply.”</p><p>“I don’t have enough credit left.” Taeyong lies through his teeth as he scoots over to let Jaehyun sit next to him. “Is this for us?” He asks, eyeing the burgers.</p><p>“Yep, though I wasn’t really expecting you to be here. It’s on me, by the way.” Yuta grins before looking at Jaehyun who has his arms crossed over his chest, looking everything but glad to be there. “Why does this shit look gloomy?”</p><p>Taeyong lightly scolds him for his language before taking a big bite out of the burger, eyes widening. “This is good!”</p><p>“Is this important?” Jaehyun scrunches his nose. He’s still mildly irritated for being interrupted by the two other men.</p><p>Johnny shrugs, resting his arm on the backrest. “The meet up? No. You got something better to do?” He doesn’t smile, but his eyes glimmer in mischief as he subtly eyes Taeyong who’s busy with his burger.</p><p>Jaehyun kicks Johnny under the table, sneering in triumph. “<em>Maybe. </em>So what is this about? Anyway, thanks for the burger.”</p><p>“We just wanted to hang out together.” Johnny’s face contorts in playful annoyance as he rubs the part of his leg that Jaehyun kicked. “Plus, Yuta’s folks just sent him a ton of groceries so he wouldn’t starve himself in the next two weeks. We thought of a better idea, which is instead of letting him have it all, the four of us should share for old time’s sake.”</p><p>“You say it like we’re 64,” the youngest among them says through munching his burger.</p><p>Yuta smirks. “You certainly look like one with that petty frown. Aw–! Who kicked me?!”</p><p>“Guys, don’t bully Jaehyunie. He’s just sad because he wanted to listen to me talk all night but we had to come here,” Taeyong finishes his burger and sips his drink to hide the blush on his cheeks, remembering the text. “It’s <em>our </em>Friday, remember?”</p><p>“…That shit mad sweet,” Yuta stifles a snicker. “How do you feel about that?”</p><p>“Me?” Taeyong looks at the three of them before shrugging. “I feel funny.”</p><p>It hits Jaehyun in the wrong nerve so he quickly takes offense by putting down his half-eaten burger, looking at his best friend with a hurt expression. “The hell does that mean…?”</p><p>Everybody in their small circle is aware of Jaehyun’s feelings for Taeyong, so it’s a tad too painful and humiliating to receive that kind of response with Yuta and Johnny witnessing it.</p><p>“I don’t know…” Taeyong sits up straight, palms on his lap. He looks like an adorable puppy and Jaehyun hates himself even more for falling even after that <em>I feel funny </em>remark. “Are we really just gonna eat Yuta’s food all night? Why do we have to stay in his place?”</p><p>“Because aside from playing games <em>and </em>drinking, mind you–we’re gonna show you the <em>portal.</em>”</p><p>“Oh shit,” Jaehyun perks up in elation. “Is it finished?”</p><p>Johnny waves dismissively. “The portal is done but the game itself is far from it. We got a shit ton of coding and animation to do and with what the university’s doing to us, we’d probably finish it in a year.”</p><p>Yuta nods. “It’s not a piece of cake to be game developers, you know. The competition we’re joining is on a global scale. If this works, it’s gonna be the first game to be almost realistically, physically interactive. I wonder how much it’d sell…”</p><p>Taeyong blinks, a little dazed. “How does that work again? And can I have your burger, Jaehyun? Thanks…”</p><p>“You get in the portal – which is like a transparent life-sized tube and put this chip on your temple. You’ll be unconscious throughout the game because your mind will completely be in another realm – like virtual reality! What’s even cooler is that your character is based on what you picture prior to the official start of the game. Get it? You’ll be in a dream-like state, but of course your character doesn’t know that. We’re not even halfway done yet, so.”</p><p>“Damn,” Jaehyun rubs his chin. “This is actually huge.”</p><p>“Yep, and it’s a Zombie apocalypse game. Our team still doesn’t know if we’re gonna make it have missions to complete because as of now, all we have are just the story, the living dead themselves, and the setting. We can show you the graphics later if you want.”</p><p>Taeyong squirms visibly, lips jutted once again in a perpetual pout. “That’s scary. I hate zombies and I’m glad it’s not real.”</p><p>“A zombie apocalypse is everybody’s dream come true,” Johnny looks at the other mischievously. “It’d be thrilling, wouldn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After Yuta shows them the two portals kept in the guest room, Taeyong and Jaehyun are shown some of the graphics of the game. Apparently, it’s set in Texas, USA. When Jaehyun asks him why Texas of all places, Yuta offers a nonchalant shrug.</p><p>“We couldn’t decide so we had to draw lots. So, Texas it is.”</p><p>“Is this an actual place in Texas?”</p><p>“Of course, duh.”</p><p>Later on, as the night deepens, they lose themselves in the blend of classic games and many bottles of soju. One cannot miss playing Truth or Dare while intoxicated, so they do just that. It’s all just silly questions and consequences to embarrass each other, really, until Johnny becomes an asshole when the bottle coincidentally points to Taeyong.</p><p>“You’ve run out of Truths, so you have to do as I say,” There’s a sinister smile dancing on Johnny’s lips as he takes advantage of Taeyong’s already drunken state. “Kiss the cutest one among me, Yuta and Jaehyun.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“Shut up, Jaehyun. This is Taeyong’s dare.”</p><p>Taeyong sniffles and takes his time to shift his gaze on their faces. When Jaehyun’s about to walk out, not wanting to see his crush kiss someone else, he gets pulled by the wrist and warm lips plant themselves on his cheek for three seconds before it’s gone.</p><p>Yuta wolf whistles before shaking his head. “That’s not fun. We all know he’s going to choose Jaehyun.”</p><p>Johnny says that he knows that, and he really just wanted to see it happen. Beside him, Jaehyun malfunctions and drinks his soju as if it’s water. It stings his throat but he’s used to it. There’s the beginning of a slight buzz in his head and it won’t be long before they all hit the floor face first. He can hold his liquor the best out of their little squad, so it only means that the rest are already pretty juiced up.</p><p>The thought leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Does that mean Taeyong doesn’t understand the implication of that kiss and what it does to Jaehyun?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When the clock strikes 2am, both Johnny and Yuta are in a competition to find out who snores the loudest. Jaehyun and Taeyong are left in the living room with their own blankets and pillows, yet for some reason, they’re still awake. Taeyong takes the couch while Jaehyun settles on the floor.</p><p>“I’m thinking,” Taeyong says in the dark, one arm dangling over the edge as he turns to lie on his side. “If they win the contest, they will be paid millions of dollars, right?”</p><p>Jaehyun hums. He must be completely out of his mind now because he reaches for Taeyong’s hand and holds it, liking how warm it feels in his. “Yes.”</p><p>“And then they’re gonna be hella popular, too. It must be nice. I hope they shower us some coins,” he whispers even though no one else is going to hear him, “A little something for our moral support.”</p><p>Soft laughter spills out of Jaehyun and he pushes himself up, as Taeyong’s gaze follows his movement. “You really think they’re gonna make it?”</p><p>“Of course! They’re both intelligent and talented… And they are working with a professional team. They will give us the first copies of <em>Dead Meat</em> for test run.” Taeyong quickly sits up as a thought occurs to him. “We should play it for our Friday dates, Jaehyun! Although, I’ll just be watching because I get scared easily…”</p><p>Jaehyun’s brain short circuits. Did Taeyong just say the d word?</p><p>“Date?”</p><p>“Yeah! Our Friday best friend dates. Because even though you don’t say it, I know you don’t really enjoy playing gentle gameplay. And I wanna see you have fun, too! Even if it’s scary!”</p><p>The younger is torn between crying over being best friend-zoned and being found out that he’s just pretending to like Animal Crossing.</p><p>He gives Taeyong’s hand another squeeze as he avoids the latter’s eyes. “I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want, Yong.”</p><p>“What are you saying? I just literally said I want to see you have fun,” Taeyong huffs before sliding off the couch and tugging Jaehyun to stand – he almost loses his balance, but Jaehyun quickly grabs his waist so he won’t fall. “I’ll show you I’m not going to cry from jump scares!”</p><p>“And how are you gonna do that?” Jaehyun’s a little breathless from how close their faces are. One wrong move and he’s going to have a taste of those pretty pink lips he’s been dreaming of ever since.</p><p>Taeyong presses both palms on Jaehyun’s chest, silently wondering why there seems to be unrestrained drumming against his hand. “Let’s go into the portal!”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“The portal, Jaehyun. We should test it if it’s working.”</p><p>“But they said it’s not yet done…”</p><p>“That’s fine! Let’s just wait until we see zombies so I can show you I’m not gonna run away.”</p><p>Jaehyun sighs fondly, watching Taeyong’s unfocused glaring on his chest. “But that’s the whole point of a zombie apocalypse, Taeyong. You run away.”</p><p>“Yeah, but you’ll run with me, right? You won’t leave me?” Taeyong lets out a little whine as he slightly wiggles in Jaehyun’s hold. “Don’t let them eat my brain.”</p><p>“I won’t leave you. Do you really wanna try it?”</p><p>“Yep!”</p><p>“Okay, fine.”</p><p>They stumble on their way to the guest room. Luckily, it’s unlocked so they easily slip in without risking waking the other two. Jaehyun switches the light on and lets go of Taeyong’s hand so he can figure out how to turn on the portal.</p><p>“Do you see any chip there?”</p><p>Taeyong starts looking around. After a couple of minutes, he comes back to Jaehyun holding a clear case the size of a ring box. “Here,” he takes out the chips and hands one to Jaehyun who feels under the portals and finds a button, pressing it. The tube whirrs to life, illuminated by miniature bulbs surrounding it from outside.</p><p>“Yuta said we only have to press on the chip then when we fall asleep, the game will start.”</p><p>Jaehyun glances at the portals then at Taeyong. “Are you sure you really wanna do this?”</p><p>“Mhm, are you not?”</p><p>“Somehow, I feel like we’re gonna be in trouble.” Jaehyun sighs but leads Taeyong to one of the tubes. “Be careful.”</p><p>Taeyong enters the tube and fastens the belt around his waist. The portal then reclines to a comfortable angle.</p><p>Seeing that Taeyong won’t back down, Jaehyun steps inside his own portal which is right next to Taeyong’s, and buckles up.</p><p>They glue the chips on their temples at the same time and at the count of three, they press.</p><p>The world turns black.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yuta is woken up by an inexplicable noise. It’s gone as quick as it was there. He groans through the haze of intoxication and feels for his phone to check the time. 2:15am.</p><p>“What the hell was that.” Now that his mind has taken a short break, he realizes how thirsty he is and leaves the room, accidentally stepping on Johnny’s toe on the way. He heads to the kitchen clutching his head and blindly grabs a bottled water from the fridge, sighing in great relief as it soon as it soothes his parched throat.</p><p>When he finishes drinking, his gaze darts over to the living room where Taeyong and Jaehyun are supposed to be, and finds it empty. Yuta tosses the bottle in the sink before heading to the living room, staring blankly at the blankets and pillows. “The fuck did they go?”</p><p>He goes to check outside, then in the bathroom in case the two finally stopped being stupid and are now happily eating each other’s face. Yuta even peeks inside the laundry room but alas, the best friends are nowhere to be found.</p><p>The only place he hasn’t checked yet is the guest room, but Yuta’s almost certain that they have no business there.</p><p>Almost.</p><p>But those guys are drunk and don’t have issues getting it on wherever they please, and <em>fuck, they might break an equipment–</em></p><p>He runs to the guest room. There, inside the portals, are Jaehyun and Taeyong obviously unconscious as they play the game.</p><p>Yuta screams.</p><p>A series of heavy footsteps resonate behind him before Johnny appears, asks Yuta what the fuck is going on, sees their two friends in the portal, and screams.</p><p>“Holy fuck,” Yuta stomps towards Taeyong and raps the clear glass, panicking even more when none of them wakes up. “Oh God, what the fuck did they do – Johnny stop screaming! You’re gonna wake the whole neighborhood!”</p><p>“What do you expect me to do?” Johnny stares dumbly and horrified at their friends. “They won’t wake up until the game is over…”</p><p>“The game is not yet finished. They will literally go ‘round in circles because the story doesn’t have a goal. What should we do? Should we try turning off the chip?” Yuta presses down on the chip on Taeyong’s temple, cursing under his breath when it doesn’t fall off. “Why did they do this? We haven’t finished coding yet!”</p><p>Johnny takes a few deep breaths to calm his nerves as much as possible, thinking of a way to wake up Taeyong and Jaehyun. He comes up with none. “We can’t turn off the chip, and the story is not yet done. They will only wake up if their characters die.”</p><p>Yuta whips his head towards Johnny who plops down a chair with a faraway look. “And when are they gonna die?”</p><p>“…Let’s hope they’re stupid enough to get bitten by the flesh munchers as soon as possible.”</p><p>“And if they’re smart enough?”</p><p>Johnny rubs a hand down his face and looks at Taeyong and Jaehyun with disbelief. “We gotta start thinking of excuses as to why they’re not showing up in classes.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>∞</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>Dead Meat</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b>  </b>
</p><p>Working graveyard isn’t ideal but it’s the only available time for a part-timer at Quick Track. The pay isn’t good as well but enough to get Jaehyun extra money when the semester starts. His host family won’t be giving him a cent. It sucks to be living in an entirely different country when you don’t know anyone. Thankfully, he found a nice household.</p><p>He came to Lubbock as an exchange student. It’s a good opportunity so he couldn’t pass up. His English is fairly good so Jaehyun has no problems engaging in conversations with customers, only stumbling on his words when they’re speaking in an accent that he’s not familiar with and he struggles to come up with something to say. Aside from that, he’s doing well.</p><p>It’s only been two weeks but so far, he’s finding Lubbock quite alright.</p><p>It’s past 2am and Jaehyun is currently mopping the floor when a group of rowdy teenagers enter the store. From the looks of it, they’re clearly high or drunk. One of them has eyes that look like he’s been sniffing powder for the whole day and Jaehyun, despite coming from a country where getting high out in the open is taboo, clearly knows not to mess with them.</p><p>So, while trying his best to scrub the black stain off of the floor, he lets them walk around the store, being loud and messy. Some bags of chips fall off the rack and Jaehyun has to pause from mopping to pick them up. A teenage boy slumps over the ice cream freezer and promptly falls asleep.</p><p>“Jesus,” Jaehyun mutters as they continue to randomly pick up items. They don’t even use baskets so everything they take are held in arms, constantly falling out. He stops mopping as he deems it useless when they keep stepping over the spots he’s scrubbing and goes back behind the counter to wait for them to pay up. He hopes they pay up because if they don’t, everything will be charged to him.</p><p>And they’re not even paying him enough to cover all that.</p><p>Quickly glancing at the CCTV with a flat look, Jaehyun taps his foot impatiently while watching them talk over each other. The boy that fell asleep on the freezer finally slides down the floor and Jaehyun has half a mind to just leave him be. But he remembers the camera and if the boy’s parents find out his lack of altruistic action towards a helpless, innocent teen, they’re going to hunt him down.</p><p>And they’re going to deport him back to Korea.</p><p>As he finally gathers up the courage to call them out, the old radio sitting behind him switches from playing a pop song to the news. He rolls his eyes as the teens deliberately ignore him and opts to focus on the radio.</p><p>He expects it to be another report about a convenience store being robbed in the wee hours of the night but he’s caught in surprise as they talk about a rapidly spreading virus affecting different states. The reporter sounds alarmed and terrified, Jaehyun can sense it even as she speaks too fast for his poor brain. He picks up something about a virus that eats the flesh and turns people into crazed cannibals who look well on their way to decomposition. They aren’t sure when it started, but the cannibals have started appearing earlier and are currently wreaking havoc as she speaks. It could be an infection, she said.</p><p>Jaehyun frowns. Cannibals looking like they’re decaying? Isn’t <em>Zombies </em>more befitting?</p><p>But it’s 2020 and zombie apocalypse is nothing but a figment of imagination. The dead is already dead and they cannot be brought back to life. How many times have people already said that scientists are planning to revive the dinosaurs?</p><p>The reporter advises everyone to pack up and stay at home, and be safe.</p><p>He scoffs and turns off the radio before watching the kids again. In his periphery, a car skids to a reckless halt outside the store.</p><p>“Hey, can you please stop making a mess? I just mo– Oh Lord,” Jaehyun exclaims, jaw dropping when a man comes in and literally kicks the sleeping boy out of the way. The part-timer doesn’t even know if he’s dumbfounded by the man’s violence or the kid not waking up after that kick.</p><p>“You got payphone?” The man frantically looks around. He looks like he just ran a marathon.</p><p>“Um, the payphone is currently broken…” Jaehyun observes the man and notes how <em>scared </em>he looks. “Are you okay?” Assuming that a customer is not okay just because they appear to be not okay isn’t disrespectful, right? How do people here even respond to open concern?</p><p>The man slams his hand down the counter in annoyance before running the same hand through his hair. That’s when Jaehyun gets a clear view of the man’s features and good god, isn’t he one attractive guy.</p><p>Jaehyun shakes his homosexual thoughts out of his head. This is not the right time to ogle an obviously distressed hottie. “But if it’s urgent, I guess you can use the phone in the back room? I’ll have to be with you when you make a call, though. My manager checks the CCTV regularly and he might get mad…”</p><p>“Whatever, just please let me use it.”</p><p>Well, at least he said please. Jaehyun ignores the rude tone and leads the guy in the back room. The customer rushes to the phone and dials, continuing to pace back and forth impatiently. He curses over and over as each call fails to connect, and each curse that leaves his mouth is fouler than before. By now, Jaehyun can’t help but to get more curious.</p><p>“What’s the problem?” He hopes he’s not being nosy; he just really wants to help. “Is there…is there a problem? You look so pale. Do I need to call an ambulance?”</p><p>He flinches in shock when the guy slams the phone down before sitting on a chair, terrified eyes shifting from one place to another.</p><p>“You heard the news?”</p><p>Jaehyun blinks in confusion. “What news?”</p><p>“The news about cannibals. The news about zombies.” The man stands up and begins pacing back and forth again, one hand on his hip as the other clutches a handful of light blue hair. “It’s fucking terrible out there, man. Everyone’s fucking fleeing.”</p><p>“It’s chaotic? But I don’t see anybody running… It’s literally so quiet.” Jaehyun fidgets in fear, nonetheless. “Is it true…?”</p><p>The man looks at him with incredulity, like Jaehyun’s gone crazy. “Do I look like a fucking circus clown to you right now? Look at me, look into my eyes. Do I look like I’m kidding?”</p><p>Jaehyun squirms in discomfort. “But outside–“</p><p>“People sleep, Joe. Those that heard the news are going crazy, trying to get out of the state buying last minute flight tickets. Apparently, this is the area where people sleep on time.” The man picks up the phone again and dials, only to shout another string of profanities before putting it down. “I need to know if my family’s alive.”</p><p>“…My name is not Joe,” Jaehyun’s voice quivers. He’s never been treated so rudely before and he doesn’t know how to handle an irate customer. “My name is Jaehyun.”</p><p>The man gapes at him incredulously, for the second time. “Cool, you’re Korean. I’m Taeyong. But listen, Jaehyun, we’re literally in a zombie apocalypse right now. So I suggest you–”</p><p>All of a sudden, panicked screams deafen them and when the irate customer, Taeyong looks at what’s going on outside the back room, he sees that two of the teens are bleeding as chunks of their arms are bitten of by the three zombies. He tugs Jaehyun aside and pulls out a gun, shooting the living dead right on the head.</p><p>“Let’s go!” Taeyong drags Jaehyun by the hand as they exit through the back door. Those zombies are dead, for good, when they’re shot in head. But Taeyong won’t be too complacent to stay in the store. Those decaying cannibals are attracted to noise and he knows that there will be more around. They’re not safe.</p><p>“Oh god, they’re real,” Jaehyun cries as Taeyong practically shoves him in the passenger of the car. “Those kids are dead…? They’re bleeding! Maybe we should bring them to the hospital!”</p><p>Taeyong ignites the car and maneuvers to the highway, speeding. “Are you nuts?! Once those things bit you, it’s either you die or turn into motherfuckin’ zombie!”</p><p>Once again, Jaehyun is filled with a new dash of horror. He sits there quietly, in the car with a total stranger who’s driving them somewhere he doesn’t know. “W-where are you taking us?”</p><p>“Fuck if I know?”</p><p>“Can you please stop cursing?” Tears fall from Jaehyun’s eyes again as he remembers his host family. “We’re going to die, are we?” He moves to take his phone out when he realizes it’s in the locker in the store, and he has no way to contact his host family and chat his mom in Korea. “Oh god, I’m going to die.” Jaehyun sobs out loud. “I don’t want to die…”</p><p>“Then stop crying! Do you see people in zombie apocalypse movies cry?” Taeyong scoffs as he steps harder on the gas. Before them, the road is endless and devoid of people. In a blink of an eyes, Lubbock has turned into a ghost town. “And chill, goddammit. The zombies detect noises, alright. Go on with the drama and you’ll get your ass chewed.”</p><p>Contrary to his plans of scaring the boy to silence, Jaehyun only wails even louder.</p><p>“Seriously! Shut up or I’ll make you!”</p><p>“With what?” Jaehyun hiccups and eyes the gun sitting on Taeyong’s lap. “With that? How did you get a gun? Are you a criminal?”</p><p>Taeyong scoffs disbelievingly and shrugs, lips pressed into a firm line as he gives up on trying to reason with someone who’s still in shock. “For protection? Who doesn’t have a gun nowadays? Plus, it’s Texas.”</p><p>Somehow, that seems to make Jaehyun shut up. Taeyong basks in the silence as they continue to hit the road, not really knowing where to go. The flesh munchers are possibly everywhere by now. Wherever they go, it’s dangerous.</p><p>The have been on the road for close to half an hour when the car runs out of fuel. Taeyong smacks the wheel as he reluctantly pulls over to the side. There are still houses around them but still, it’s too quiet and they see nobody outside to ask for help.</p><p>“Get out,” Taeyong tucks the gun to his hip and steps out of the car with Jaehyun who quickly glues to himself to Taeyong’s side, clutching his arm in fear.</p><p>Jaehyun watches as Taeyong lifts the seat and takes out several magazines. “We should go to the police…”</p><p>“The next station is half a kilometer away. If you wanna walk, go ahead. But I’m thinking that we should hide inside one of these houses until help itself arrives.” Taeyong glances at the terrified boy and sighs. “You should just listen to me. You have no one else now but me. So if you don’t want to die out there, do as I say. Put some of these magazines in your pocket.”</p><p>Without much choice, they start inspecting the house. As expected, most of them are already empty. But although they are, they do not dare get in. Taeyong notices broken windows and traces of dried blood. The zombies must have been here earlier; they must still be lurking. One of the houses have people inside but they were denied in fear that once the door opens, the living dead might see and attack them.</p><p>So Taeyong and Jaehyun continue to warily look for a place to hide.</p><p>“Here,” Taeyong puts a finger on his lips, gesturing for Jaehyun to be careful on his steps as they approach a house. He knocks as softly as he can. Nobody answers and it doesn’t look like the house has been thrashed so Taeyong starts picking the front door lock with a pin. When he hears a click, he cautiously pushes the door open and peeks inside, before pulling Jaehyun with him. “Let’s stay here.”</p><p>“No one’s around?” Jaehyun extricates himself from Taeyong and tip-toes further into the house. Nope. Not a soul found. “They must have fled already…”</p><p>“You don’t say.” Taeyong pushes the couch against the door and starts closing the windows. “Don’t turn the lights on.” He begins going inside the rooms and closing all the windows. “Tomorrow, we’ll start covering these with papers. Who knows if they could actually detect moving objects too?”</p><p>Jaehyun comes out of the kitchen and spots the house phone on a wall, holding back a gasp as he reaches for it. But before he could touch, Taeyong wrenches out the cord.</p><p>“What did you do?!” Jaehyun exclaims in a hushed whisper. “How are we going to call for help? Didn’t you want to check on your family?”</p><p>Taeyong throws the cord on the floor and takes a lighter from his jacket’s pocket, using it as he goes to the kitchen looking for something. “If anybody calls, that phone’s going to ring and god forbid there are zombies around here to hear you.” He opens a few drawers, frowning deeper as he doesn’t find what he’s looking. “I have a cellphone but it’s dead. I’ll look for a charger tomorrow and we can use it.”</p><p>“Alright,” Jaehyun gulps and shortly glances at the front door as though waiting for one of those things to barge in. “What are you looking for?”</p><p>“A gun.”</p><p>“You already have a gun…”</p><p>“I have a gun and I have too many bullets.” Taeyong casts him a bored look. The flame from the lighter leaves a shadow on his face, and Jaehyun is reminded of how godly this man looks. “What do you have?”</p><p>“…”</p><p>“Exactly. You need a gun. I can’t be the only one shooting while thinking of how to keep you safe at the same time.”</p><p>Jaehyun blinks. “You don’t need to think of me…”</p><p>“Oh yeah?” Taeyong closes the last drawer and stops mere inches before Jaehyun. Between them, the flame dances from what little wind coming into the house. “And when I leave your ass alone tomorrow, are you gonna survive?”</p><p>Taeyong is right. Jaehyun can’t defend himself. He might have a bigger built but their enemies aren’t human. The only way to kill them is through a bullet in their head, and Jaehyun doesn’t even have any weapon with him.</p><p>“…Then don’t leave me.”</p><p>Huge pools of dark irises stare back at him intensely.</p><p>“I won’t.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jaehyun wakes up to Taeyong walking past him carrying wooden boards. He sits up with a soft yawn, fists rubbing sleepiness out of his eyes for a moment before stretching his arms out.</p><p>He didn’t realize he had fallen asleep in the living room. They were supposed to stay up just in case the walking corpses arrive.</p><p>“I’m amazed that you managed to be relaxed enough to sleep in the middle of this <em>cannibalistic </em>mayhem.” Taeyong puts the boards down before disappearing to where he got them, and comes back with a hammer.</p><p>“Sorry, do you need me to do something?”</p><p>“No,” Taeyong opens the small carton of nails on the sofa and picks up one to inspect while Jaehyun merely watches from his spot on the carpeted floor. “How’s your sleep?”</p><p>“Okay, I guess. I dreamt of my family. Maybe it’s the anxiety talking? I’m really worried about them…”</p><p>“That’s normal. I sure hope that it’s only happening here.” Taeyong’s intense gaze fleets over to Jaehyun momentarily. “At least we’re the only ones dying.”</p><p>Jaehyun frowns and gets up to search for food in the kitchen. “We’re lucky this family’s fridge isn’t empty. Or else we’re going to starve…” He takes out a container of leftover lasagna and puts it in the microwave. He flinches when it makes a sound, knowing Taeyong’s probably glaring now. “But there’s only enough for two days…?”</p><p>“Don’t worry about the third day. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”</p><p>Before the time is up, Jaehyun opens the microwave so it won’t beep repeatedly and almost sobs at the smell of lasagna hitting his nose. “It smells so good that I’m almost not worried about zombies and possibly getting fired by my boss.” He then returns to the living room, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. “Do you think zombies can swim?”</p><p>Taeyong has a nail pinched between his lips as he picks up a board and presses it on the window. It’s long enough to reach both ends. “I don’t know? I’ve never seen one swim in movies. And that series on Netflix actually shows them being scared of it. But maybe that’s the Asian zombies.” He takes the nail from his lips and starts hammering it through the wood.</p><p>Jaehyun talks while eating. “I’m just wondering. ‘Cause if they can, then they’ll be able to swim to other countries–”</p><p>“That sounds stupid and unrealistic. Other countries are probably infected, too.”</p><p>“None of this feels realistic, though.” Jaehyun sighs and stabs his food with the fork, offering it to Taeyong. “Have you eaten? You should eat.”</p><p>He gets rejected. Whatever. More Lasagna for Jaehyun’s rumbling stomach.</p><p>“You might attract them if you keep doing that.”</p><p>Taeyong continues hammering, scoffing once. The noise is certainly not quiet and can be easily heard by anyone close by. “I might. But it’s easier to shoot them on broad daylight.”</p><p>“I guess so. You’re the one who can shoot.” Jaehyun puts the food down and enters a hallway on the right, stepping inside the first room. He begins opening drawers until he finds a charger before running back to Taeyong to ask for his phone, which was carelessly tossed to him.</p><p>“While you’re at it, go search for a gun.”</p><p>Jaehyun finds a socket and plugs. “Are you really gonna make me use it? I’m gonna be so bad at aiming.”</p><p>Taeyong finishes putting up the first board and takes one step back to look at it. “Boards like this are strong enough to block them, right? And of course, you need a gun. I already told you.”</p><p>Before Jaehyun even thinks of a response, both of them freeze up as they hear a distant howling. It doesn’t sound like it’s made by only one zombie as the howls resonate.</p><p>“Is that…” Jaehyun can’t even finish his sentence, eyes glued at Taeyong who beckons to him. “What is it?” He whispers.</p><p>“Look at the road,” Taeyong hooks a finger behind the curtain to move it aside, allowing them a little slit to see the outside. “See the trail of red?”</p><p>Jaehyun covers his mouth with a hand. There’s a long trail of dried blood coming from one of the houses on the opposite side, stretching long on the street. Littering the ground are a few bits of flesh.</p><p>Behind him, Taeyong whispers. “This is gonna be our life for a while.”</p><p>“W-where are they?” Jaehyun steps away from the window. It seems like he cannot finish the lasagna now…</p><p>“In search for more victims, probably. Go somewhere noisy, with signs of life. Let’s hope they’ve gone far.”</p><p>“But there are more of them that will be on the way here.” They both know it just started. Jaehyun sits down on the sofa and wonders when help would come – <em>if </em>help would come. The zombies don’t discriminate and will likely also attack those that the weaker are waiting for. “Hey, Taeyong. How long have you been living in Texas?”</p><p>Taeyong pulls the curtain close and looks at Jaehyun like he <em>knows </em>that the other’s trying to distract them both from the fear slowly consuming them. “The ‘rents brought me here when I was five, I think.”</p><p>“And how long ago was that?”</p><p>“You could just ask me my age, you know. I’m 26, now do the math.”</p><p>“Ah,” Jaehyun forces out a small smile. “I’m 22. I don’t think I should call you <em>hyung</em> since you’re already Americanized.”</p><p>“Americanized, my ass.” Taeyong picks up another board to continue covering the window. “22 is such a baby age.”</p><p>“It’s literally not. Are you not gonna ask about me?”</p><p>Taeyong smirks. “You wanna have some chitchat? Fine. How long have you been hiding from the cops? You an immigrant?”</p><p>Jaehyun wants to stick his tongue out childishly, but quickly thinks better of it when they hear the same howls and this time, it sounds nearer. “Two weeks. I’m an exchange student and I live with my host family. My mom and dad are in Korea. Flying here was a dream, but I really wanna go home now…”</p><p>“Then go text your folks and see if they could do something to rescue their little lamb.”</p><p>Taeyong’s tone peeves Jaehyun. Why did he make it sound like he’s a spoiled brat? He’s certainly not!</p><p>“Are you rich? Can you pull some strings?”</p><p>“…We’re not rich.” Jaehyun clicks his tongue in annoyance and stalks off to the kitchen, leaving a confused Taeyong. “There’s frozen hotdogs. Fry them yourself if you’re hungry.”</p><p>“Tell your folks that you’re alive, at least.” Taeyong takes out a nail from the box and pounds it into the board. “And I’m not hungry. I’ll save it for you.”</p><p>“What?” Jaehyun pokes his head and glares at Taeyong. “But why? We can share.”</p><p>“Kids need to eat a lot to grow.”</p><p>If Jaehyun could freely scream, he’d be breaking Taeyong’s eardrums by now. That arrogant smirk on the other man’s face is as infuriating as it is sexy, and Jaehyun hates himself for even finding the time to be attracted in such a time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They spend the whole day barring the house by blocking the windows with boards and materials hard enough to keep the undead from getting through. When afternoon rolls by, Taeyong finds a gun hidden under the floorboards in the master’s bedroom. There are no bullets, but he has a lot to give Jaehyun. He does not train him, only telling him not to doubt himself when he has to shoot.</p><p>“Even if you miss the head, as long as you distract them, it’s going to buy us time to run. You understand?”</p><p>Jaehyun nods as he weighs the weapon in his shaky hands. “This is my first time to hold the real thing…”</p><p>“Of course, it’s your first time,” Taeyong pats his head and huffs amusedly. “Good Asian boys like you, they keep you sheltered.” He gets a harmless glare from the other that he simply waves off before taking the last hotdog on the table. “Go the bedroom – wherever there’s tv. There might still be news covering this.”</p><p>He follows the younger and sits at the foot of the bed, right in front of the television. Jaehyun turns it on and sighs in relief when they find a working channel.</p><p>But none of what the reporter says is good news. It’s a catastrophe in most states. They show up photos revealing the situation in different areas, how the hordes of flesh eaters start to decimate civilization into hostile wilderness. Help is slow to come due to the onslaught of zombies preventing the authorities to respond, crippling their powers, especially when the local and nation government begin to hibernate for self-protection. It is said that the zombies only need a hundred days to paralyze the human race, and eventually curse it to eternal doom.</p><p>Jaehyun’s gaze drops from the tv screen to the back of Taeyong’s head. “Is this… is this the only news channel left? Are all broadcasting stations down?”</p><p>“Everyone is busy trying to keep themselves safe, so we can’t blame them.” Taeyong’s head droops as hope frays on its edges. “We’re given a hundred days left to live.”</p><p>“Are we going to live until then?” Jaehyun sniffles and shuts his eyes tight to keep the tears from falling. He misses his parents, and he fears that he doesn’t have much time to say goodbye. “Even if we stay alive after three months, there will be no other humans left. We will still die.”</p><p>Taeyong clicks his tongue and turns to the boy sitting on the bed. “Then what do you want to do? Take your own life? Right now? Well you got the gun.”</p><p>Hating the thought of doing such an unspeakable act, Jaehyun vehemently shakes his head. “I’m slow and I’m easily scared, but you said you won’t leave me, right?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah?”</p><p>“Then I’ll give us not more than a week to live. Maybe even shorter than that. With a slowpoke like me, I’ll drag you down. Are you okay with that?” Jaehyun opens his eyes and moves close to Taeyong, staring him down. “Wanna get bitten with me?”</p><p>Taeyong raises a brow and pokes Jaehyun’s forehead, offering an apologetic smile – an apology for whatever fate has in store for them. “It would be sad if I’m the only one turning into a zombie. Or only you. Fine, since I’m nice.”</p><p>“Are we friends, Taeyong?”</p><p>“Whatever you want.” Taeyong sighs and pushes himself up to sit on the bed instead, draping an arm around Jaehyun’s shoulders. “Texted your ‘rents?”</p><p>“Yes, but they aren’t replying. It’s been three hours. It’s 7 in the morning in Korea now.” As though realizing what could be the reason his parents aren’t saying anything yet, Jaehyun tugs Taeyong close to buries his face on the other’s chest. “Tell me they’re okay.”</p><p>How can he offer fake comfort right now? They both know <em>why </em>Jaehyun’s parents aren’t replying. The world is crumbling and everyone is going to fall into its pits eventually. It’s only fortunate that some people, those who are important to them are falling into it earlier.</p><p>Taeyong rubs Jaehyun’s back soothingly. He hopes it’s good enough, because there are no words that could make anyone feel better right now. Even he doesn’t trust whatever lie he comes up with. His own parents are probably gone too, because they’re the type to pester an adult son into coming home early but when his phone came back to life, their last text and call were during the time he was on the road with Jaehyun, then there’s no more. It’s either that or they have no means left to contact him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Two days pass by with no progress. They’ve eaten the last food in the house and they’re about to explode from apprehension. Jaehyun actually feels sick and empties his stomach twice, sobbing from a fatal blend of overthinking and fear. He’s losing his mind; they both are, but Taeyong is masking it better by being on guard every second, keeping watch for possible attacks in lieu of sleep.</p><p>He can hold those motherfuckers back and buy Jaehyun time to run away.</p><p>The gun sits hot in his grip. He’s been rechecking the bullets for countless times just to see it’s actually loaded and going to kill the walking corpses. Taeyong shifts on the sofa when his ass starts to feel numb, but his eyes never stray from the small opening he left on the window. There’s the same distant, distorted howl, and it’d be too risky to lose focus even for a moment.</p><p>Beside him, Jaehyun quietly follows the ticking hands of the clock. Somehow, doing that feels like déjà vu.</p><p>“Are you not tired watching the empty streets, Taeyong? Let’s switch, if you wanna sleep?”</p><p>“Not necessary. I know you’re going to fall asleep faster than I will.” Taeyong glances at him and nudges his knee with a foot. “Come on, it’s fine. I can take them down should they decide to fuck with us.”</p><p>Jaehyun snorts before lying down on the sofa, head on the armrest. “You know, for an apocalypse, I haven’t seen much since the attack at Quick Track. They looked so disgusting. All that rotten flesh dangling off of their bodies. I saw their bones, too. And they smelled like how corpses are supposed to smell.”</p><p>“I was somewhere in the city before finding you. There were some worse looking ones, no cap. Jaw literally hanging off its hinges and the bodily fluids, god. I think they’re decaying by the second. No idea how they run so fucking fast while being literally dead.”</p><p>“As fast as Usain Bolt?” Jaehyun looks up and smiles. His eyes do not share the same sentiment. “We’d need a car to get rid of them.”</p><p>Taeyong opens his mouth, only to close it as soon as the howl becomes louder, nearer. He signals Jaehyun to stay in the shadows as he takes a few steps back, gun pointed forward.</p><p>It feels like Jaehyun’s body has been set on cold fire. He wants to bolt yet his feet are nailed to the ground. A foot before him, Taeyong cocks the gun and puts his index on the trigger.</p><p>In the middle of the undead’s indistinguishable moans, they hear the cry of a woman. Jaehyun gasps behind his hand. “Taeyong, we have to help her!”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“We have to help her! Open the door and let her in–”</p><p>Taeyong cuts him off. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?! She’s got zombies on her tail!”</p><p>They flinch in fright as the door is relentlessly banged. Behind it, the woman screams for help. She’s in hysterics, sounding more and more frantic.</p><p>“Help! Please! I know there’s someone in here – please help me!”</p><p>“Taeyong, please!”</p><p>“Shut up, Jaehyun! She’s attracting them! Once we open that door, all of those fuckers are going to follow, do you understand?” Taeyong tightens his hold around the gun, chest heaving. “You can’t be thinking of anybody else right now aside from yourself.”</p><p>From the opening on the window, Jaehyun sees how a horde of flesh munchers race towards the front door. They sound every bit of horrifying, their rotten smell reaching past the thinnest slits through the walls of the house. Jaehyun feels the bile rise up his throat as the woman’s screams slowly die down into pained moans. The sounds of flesh being ripped off and chewed makes Jaehyun throw up on the floor.</p><p>His retching calls the zombies’ attention. Taeyong realizes it when their eager feasting quiets down and he quickly drags Jaehyun to hide behind the sofa. He covers Jaehyun’s mouth with a hand, ignoring the remnants of vomit. Jaehyun heaves against him, gripping his legs.</p><p>Taeyong’s heart ricochets in his chest and Jaehyun feels it on his back. The zombies growl, and their shadows sway on the floor near Jaehyun’s feet. They linger there for what seems like forever, until they go back to finishing what’s left of that woman’s body.</p><p>The scent of copper permeates the atmosphere. Taeyong peeks furtively and sees the pool of blood beneath the door. He keeps his hand on Jaehyun’s mouth until the zombies leave, fooled into believing that there’s no more dinner waiting inside the house.</p><p>When he’s sure that they’re moved far, he finally releases the trembling boy to retrieve a sheet from the bedroom and lays it on the floor to soak up the blood.</p><p>“You brag about knowing how to shoot, but you let them kill her instead,” Jaehyun says, staring blankly into space. “What’s the use of those bullets, Taeyong?”</p><p>“I would’ve shot them if they were coming for us. These bullets are to save <em>us,</em> alright? They already found a snack that’s why they didn’t come for us, Jaehyun. And do you expect me to save everyone? Some will die and some will live. That’s how it is.”</p><p>“Then you could’ve lessened the zombies for those who will survive. So when the time comes that it’s going to be me in that woman’s place, will you just watch me die, because someone has to, between us?”</p><p>“…”</p><p>“I thought we’d get bitten together?” Jaehyun comes out of his hiding and looks at Taeyong, all broken and weary. “Didn’t you say so?”</p><p>Taeyong’s jaw clenches as he stares at the previously white sheet that is now crimson. “That’s why I won’t shoot, Jaehyun. We’ll just die together. At the same time. So nobody has to feel alone.”</p><p>“Are you scared?” Jaehyun approaches him and holds his hand. It wasn’t so obvious, but Taeyong’s trembling. “This gun…it’s not yours, is it?” He doesn’t get a verbal answer, but Taeyong’s pained expression says it all. “Next time, we won’t think twice and just shoot, okay? Like you told me. But if we can help it, let’s save the bullets.”</p><p>The younger man pulls Taeyong away from the pool of blood, stepping away from the vomit on the floor to get to the kitchen. Jaehyun wordlessly hands him a glass of water and watches him drink. “I’m sorry I puked, and they heard me.”</p><p>“It’s fine. It’s a natural reaction.” Taeyong huffs and puts the gun down the table before burying his face in both hands, sighing. “You’re in shock, aren’t you?”</p><p>“Y-yes, and I’m still shaken up. But what else can I do?” With a slightly shrug, Jaehyun takes one of the older man’s hands again and softly tugs. “Sleep. They won’t disturb us if we don’t make a sound…”</p><p>Right. He hasn’t been getting a wink of sleep since they came to the abandoned house, too worried that if he so much as lets his guard down for a moment, they’d be dead. Taeyong lets the boy pull him to the bedroom and doesn’t comment as Jaehyun literally tucks him in like a child. And even when Jaehyun slides under the sheets next to him, Taeyong keeps quiet.</p><p>The only thing loud in there is the beating of his heart for all the valid reasons. But guilt shouldn’t have a place in them anymore because this is survival, and being nice will get you killed.</p><p>For the first time in three days, Taeyong falls asleep.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Food finally runs out. Taeyong and Jaehyun search for more leftovers in the house, yet to no avail. They can go for two more days without sleep, but from what Taeyong saw, he can’t let Jaehyun be hungry. The boy’s stomach rumbles every minute. For the first day, they make do with cold, bottled water from the fridge but when they lose access to tap water as well, Taeyong knows this can’t go on.</p><p>He pockets two magazines and removes everything blocking the front door.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Jaehyun watches cluelessly. “Are you going out?”</p><p>“I’ll look for food in the other house. You stay here.” Taeyong inhales deeply after peeking through the opening on the window, and turns the doorknob, releasing the breath at the sound of a soft click. “I’ll be quick, I promise.”</p><p>Jaehyun panics. “Don’t leave me. I’ll go with you.”</p><p>“What? It’s not safe.”</p><p>“That’s why I wanna go with you. I’d rather look those creatures in the eye when I’m with you than be here alone when they come and you’re gone.” Jaehyun doesn’t leave him a choice as he scrambles to fetch the gun and gently pushes Taeyong out the door.</p><p>It’s half past 12 noon and the heat strikes down on them blazingly. With bated breaths, they trudge on high alert. Taeyong’s senses are magnified as he looks around them, clutching Jaehyun’s hand and his gun in the other. Jaehyun accidentally steps on a twig and their hearts stop. They wait for a zombie to pop out of nowhere before continuing on their way to the next abandoned house.</p><p>They skip those with open doors and broken windows at the thought that a zombie could be lurking inside. When they arrive at their first target, Taeyong picks the locks and quickly drags Jaehyun inside before they forage for food and water.</p><p>Jaehyun finds a bag and hastily stuffs everything they find inside. So far, whoever that used to live here didn’t leave much. They manage to score some bread and junk food, a half-empty juice carton, then Taeyong whispers to him to follow him out.</p><p>The second house is more blessed. It has instant noodles, microwavable goods and canned tuna.</p><p>Deciding that it’s enough to last them a couple of days before it runs out, Taeyong tells Jaehyun to get ready to go back.</p><p>Their souls get sucked out of their bodies when at the front door, they are greeted with a group of five people – obviously live humans.</p><p>“Oh god, we found people!” One of them, a redhead girl exclaims in glee. Taeyong almost tells her to shut the fuck up, if not for the men with her already telling her just that.</p><p>Taeyong gets in front of Jaehyun, just in case. “Please get out of the way. We’re leaving.”</p><p>“Leaving? Where to?”</p><p>“Back home.”</p><p>The door is wide open. <em>They </em>are out in the open. Taeyong attempts to walk past them, having no time to get cheery at the sight of fellow human beings as he’s too busy thinking of how to keep him and Jaehyun alive. But a hand on his chest roots him on the spot, and Taeyong bites his tongue as a tattooed dude blocks their way.</p><p>“Do you really wanna keep hiding until help comes? They won’t look for us. We have to look for them.”</p><p>The redhead nods firmly. “We’re searching for more people to be with. We think it’s easier to survive if there’s a lot of us fighting the zombies, right? I was actually alone in my apartment and they found me. Trust me, it’s better to be with a group.”</p><p>The tattooed guy, as well as the two other men take turns convincing Taeyong and Jaehyun. Behind them, a timid girl with rainbow hair hugs herself, clearly terrified of being outside.</p><p>Taeyong clicks his tongue. “You’re putting yourselves out there as menu. I’m sorry, but please leave us alone. You have your strategy, we have ours. I sincerely wish you guys well. Come on, Jaehyun.”</p><p>Jaehyun doesn’t move.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“They’re right…” Jaehyun hikes the bag higher and squeezes Taeyong’s hand. “We can go look for help and there’s a lot of us. It won’t be too scary. If we stay in the house, nothing’s going to happen.”</p><p>Taeyong bristles. “Exactly. <em>Nothing </em>is going to happen. Nothing bad.”</p><p>“But please, Taeyong? It’s so scary with only the two of us. If we move quietly and quickly, we’re going to arrive at the police station.” Jaehyun looks at the group. “It’s only half a kilometer away, right?”</p><p>“Yeah. So you should come with us.”</p><p>“Taeyong?” Jaehyun tugs on the other’s hand, pleading. “It doesn’t have to be just the two of us. We don’t have to be alone…”</p><p>It may be a hard pill to swallow, but Jaehyun has a point. They will still have to go out again once the food is gone and if it’s going to be their routine, they might as well go on their way to seek help. Who knows, there could be a refugee camp waiting for them.</p><p>Taeyong sighs and looks at the strangers. “Fine.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They start heading to the nearest police station but it turns out that it’s empty – except for the chunks of human flesh and bloody streaks all over the floor. The tattooed guy reminds them not to worry as he opens a log book and looks for someone to contact. But when he picks up the phone, it’s disconnected.</p><p>“Don’t you guys have phones with you?” Taeyong asks irritatedly. He lingers at the entryway to keep guard.</p><p>“Phones are dead. We’ve been on the road for two days.”</p><p>“And you didn’t think to trespass an abandoned house to fucking charge them up?”</p><p>Jaehyun gives Taeyong’s hand a squeeze. One of the guys tell them to just keep walking for now and look for a place to rest. Jaehyun already hears what Taeyong wants to say before it’s even out so he tugs, shaking his head ‘<em>no’</em>.</p><p>Swallowing the urge to be a little bit spiteful, Taeyong follows the group’s lead. Thankfully, as though the gift of common sense hasn’t left their little brains yet, they do not talk. The redhead that Taeyong thought would set them in a trap actually keeps quiet.</p><p>But he can’t help but ask in a hushed tone as he looks at the black duffle bag they’re carrying. He has noticed a weird smell coming off of it. It’s faint, but it’s so distinct that Taeyong cannot ignore it. “What do you have there?”</p><p>The tattooed guy glances at him before following where he’s looking at and slightly lifts the bag, soundlessly patting it once. “Weapons. Hammer, bat, ax. Anything we can use in case we counter some zombies. Reddit says decapitating them is the easiest way to kill them. Or simply bust their brains. Which you can do,” his gaze lands on the gun on Taeyong’s hip. “Got a license, huh.”</p><p>Taeyong doesn’t tell them it’s not his. Jaehyun pokes his arm as soon as the guy’s attention isn’t on them anymore. “My legs are a bit tired…”</p><p>“You wanted this.” Taeyong pats Jaehyun’s head and rubs his nape for comfort. “Hey, we should probably take a rest. It won’t do us good to be out here exhausted in case we gotta run.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The place they temporarily take shelter in looks to be an old boutique store. There are mannequins lying around as well as old-fashioned clothes that are left discarded on the floor, covered in dust. Taeyong is the one that rolls down the coiling gate, listening one last time to the gust of wind. It’s absolutely desolated outside, too silent for one’s sanity. Taeyong misses the days Lubbock reverberates with life.</p><p>Jaehyun sits on the floor with his back against a pillar. He puts his bag of food on his lap and opens it, only for the redhead to take it away.</p><p>“You didn’t say you got food!” Shamelessly, she unpacks it and starts handing it out to everyone, oblivious of Taeyong’s fatal glare on their direction.</p><p>Jaehyun pulls Taeyong down to sit with him and shakes his head again. “It’s not worth it,” he says, fearing that Taeyong might lose his temper and cause an ugly fight. It’s the last thing they want to happen. He brings his knees up and hugs them to his chest, ignoring the rumbling of his stomach.</p><p>Taeyong’s eyes harden even more. If only murdering thick-skinned, indecorous people wasn’t illegal, he would’ve done something about it now. It wouldn’t matter if he was the one being aggravated, but Jaehyun has been nice to them when he couldn’t give a damn.</p><p>He pulls out a protein bar from his jacket and hands it to Jaehyun. “Take it,” he orders before taking the juice carton from the redhead, shoving it to Jaehyun’s chest. “Being too nice will get you killed.”</p><p>“That’s exaggerated…”</p><p>“It’s literally not. You’re supposed to die from being bitten by those smelly ass corpses, not from hunger.”</p><p>Having no energy to keep arguing, Jaehyun lets Taeyong brood as he eats.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Taeyong wakes up from Jaehyun’s persistent poking on his ribs. “What,” he grunts, sitting up and raking his fingers through his hair.</p><p>“They said we have to go now,” Jaehyun hauls him up and pushes him forward as the group exit the boutique. The sun is covered by thick clouds today, shyly peeking every now and then.</p><p>Just like before, Taeyong forces himself to be alert. Instead of being relaxed that they haven’t encountered walking corpses yet, he only feels even more frightened. It’s strange – they should be actively seeking humans to feast on but they are nowhere to be found.</p><p>It’s like they’re waiting for the right time to pounce on unsuspecting people.</p><p>They walk behind the strangers. Jaehyun’s brows furrow as he notices that they’re missing one person. “Um, where’s the rainbow girl?”</p><p>The tattooed guy exchanges look with the rest and sighs. “When everyone was sleeping, she sneaked out. We looked for her in the boutique dressing rooms and even in the toilet but she’s gone.”</p><p>“Is that bitch crazy?” Taeyong scowls. “Forget it. Keep going.”</p><p>He forgets about her, alright. But his attention goes back to the duffle bag and the pungent scent emitting from it. Taeyong glances at Jaehyun to see if he’s thinking the same thing, but the boy doesn’t look like it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When they feel the familiar wave of exhaustion settle in for the nth time, the moon has already replaced the sun. This time, they’re resting inside a neglected convenience store. The six of them are uncontrollable as they eat with unbridled gusto. Taeyong watches Jaehyun eat happily and feels warmth emanate in him.</p><p>The three men and that redhead girl slip in their own little world to talk, deliberately leaving out Taeyong and Jaehyun who are content with being by themselves. Jaehyun finishes a bag of honey butter chips and a can of coconut water. Beside him, Taeyong entertains himself with loading and unloading his gun. He takes note of the way the tattooed guy occasionally takes a glimpse of them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Taeyong can go three days without sleep but when he does have it, he sleeps like a log. So he doesn’t realize it immediately when the three men and the redhead work together to gag and bind Jaehyun before taking him to the restroom.</p><p>He only wakes up a few minutes later when he rolls over and doesn’t find a warm body. His brain, previously addled with sleep, almost goes into haywire when he doesn’t see Jaehyun. In fact, the only one in the store is the girl who’s currently nursing herself with a can of root beer.</p><p>“Where is he?”</p><p>The girl blinks at him innocently and looks around. “Where is who?”</p><p>“Jaehyun, the guy I’m with. Where is he?” Taeyong’s head starts supplying him with possible scenarios of Jaehyun being bitten by the zombies, or Jaehyun getting lost. But he knows that Jaehyun won’t leave without him. He won’t leave like that rainbow-haired girl.</p><p>He <em>knew </em>there’s something strange about that duffle bag but he was in denial. It smelled of rotten corpse, but it was suppressed by whatever it is so it doesn’t stink too much. Taeyong is about to ask her again when he hears a muffled scream coming from the staff door.</p><p>He can’t be mistaken. It’s Jaehyun.</p><p>Taeyong stands up and makes his way there. When the redhead tries to stop him, Taeyong turns around, pulls out his gun and shoots her right between the eyes. The bullet pierces through the back of her head and hits the glass window of the store, shattering it to pieces.</p><p>Fuck attracting zombies. Let them come.</p><p>He storms outside just as one of the guys exit the restroom.</p><p>“What the fuck was that?!”</p><p>“What do you think, you fucking psycho?” Taeyong points the gun at him while they switch places. He keeps the weapon aimed at the guy as he nears the restroom and shoves the door open, seeing Jaehyun bound on the toilet.</p><p>The tattooed guy curses and drops the knife before charging at Taeyong. They both hit the ground as they wrestle each other. The guy takes hold of the gun and points it back to Taeyong, hoping to shoot him but soon loses his grip as Taeyong knees him on the groin, sending him curled up in excruciating pain.</p><p>Taeyong doesn’t think twice and shoots him on the torso before turning around, quickly dodging the swing of a bat. He kicks the guy on the back of his leg and shoots it before snatching the bat and running back to Jaehyun. The last guy is already running away.</p><p>“I’m sorry I didn’t notice,” Taeyong rips off the tape on Jaehyun’s mouth and picks up the knife to tear through the thick ropes. He soon gets an armful of a sobbing Jaehyun clinging onto him tightly. “Are you okay?”</p><p>“T-they said they were going to feed me to the zombies. The rainbow girl…they chopped her limbs off.” Jaehyun points to the duffle bag without pulling away. “That’s why it reeked! They were having fun, Taeyong. They said this apocalypse was a dream come true.” Jaehyun’s head snaps up as they hear a series of howling, and sounds of running. “Taeyong…. They heard us.”</p><p>“Fuck, come on. Get up. We need to leave.” Taeyong takes the bat and runs outside. The growls are getting louder, reverberating in the direction they came from.  From a distance, they spot a car parked on the side and they sprint towards it. There’s an unconscious man behind the wheels.</p><p>Jaehyun looks behind and sees a horde of the undead. There’s <em>too many </em>of them coming his way.</p><p>“Get inside!” Taeyong says as he unlocks the door and drags out the body of the driver who appears to have hit his head on the steering wheel. It seems like the car crashed. He slams the door close as soon as he gets in and ignites the engine. Luckily, it’s still working.</p><p>He reverses and speeds away just as the rampant zombies reach them.</p><p>As Taeyong steps harder on the gas, Jaehyun twists around to check if they’re being chased. The living dead are indeed fast but they cannot catch up. When he starts thinking that they lost them, another horde of flesh-munchers spout from the sides, having heard the car and their fellows’ moans of bloodthirst.</p><p>They seem to have finally come out of hibernation now that they found a new target. Their number only keeps doubling by the minute and Taeyong has no choice but to drive dangerously fast. He’s desperate, unmindful of the harm it might cause once he loses control.</p><p>“Sit properly,” Taeyong tells Jaehyun before glancing at the rearview mirror as they near the heart of the city. The zombies are already lagging behind, shrinking the farther they go. “Are you hurt?”</p><p>Jaehyun rolls up his bloodied sleeve, revealing a long gash. “I’m going to live.”</p><p>“Yeah, you will.” Taeyong’s attention strays from the road as he looks at Jaehyun. “Let’s have that checked later.”</p><p>“How?” A chuckle escapes Jaehyun’s lips. “It won’t kill me just be–watch out!”</p><p>Taeyong startles and faces forward in time as he hits a lone corpse. The body goes over the hood and blocks the windshield before rolling down and eventually getting ran over – it all happens too fast that Taeyong, shocked and distracted, loses control of the wheel and then the next thing they know, the car is turning over thrice on the ground before hitting the curb.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jaehyun is the first one to come to his senses. There’s a deafening static in his ears for a moment before it dies down, subdued by the realization what just happened. Half of his body is out of the upside-down car – he must have kicked the door open when it rolled over, and there’s blood trickling down his temple. Jaehyun coughs a few times, clutching his chest while he heaves. He crawls out of the car wincing from pain that’s enveloping him before limping his way to the driver’s side.</p><p>Taeyong is conscious at least, but he suffers the same injuries. Jaehyun does his best to take him out of the car and aids him away from the accident scene with an arm wrapped around Taeyong’s waist. They find a small, closed vet clinic and Jaehyun has to let go of Taeyong for a moment to elbow the glass on the door then proceeds to unlock it. After that, he helps Taeyong again as they enter the clinic.</p><p>“Wait here,” Jaehyun pulls the short drapes on the door and flinches at the sound of explosion. As he cannot afford to dwell on it, he quickly feels for the switch on the wall but the lights don’t turn on. Jaehyun curses and switches the small lamp on the desk before rummaging for a roll of gauze bandage. He finds one, as well as a rug that he soaks under the sink at the corner to clean the blood off of Taeyong’s face.</p><p>“You’re hurt too,” Taeyong grunts, lip busted. “Fix yourself first.”</p><p>“I’m okay, just limping. Did you break anything?” Jaehyun dabs on the blood as Taeyong shakes his head before wrapping up the wound with the gauze. He’s no nurse, nor a doctor, but he has to make do with what’s available. Only then does he tend to himself.</p><p>“The car blew up, huh?” Taeyong’s eyes remain on the door. “They’re going to find us.”</p><p>The living dead will keep looking for them. <em>They</em> are starving – there’s not enough human flesh to consume because those that they bit either turn into one of them, or are quickly eaten to the bones. Jaehyun doesn’t want to think of surviving anymore. Right now, what’s more important is that he’s not alone.</p><p>He sits next to Taeyong. “Taeyong, do you have a job? What do you do?”</p><p>There’s no use trying to talk about something that the other person is clearly avoiding, so Taeyong indulges Jaehyun instead. “I’m a personal trainer.”</p><p>“You must have a nice figure…”</p><p>Taeyong chuckles. “Wanna see?”</p><p>“Tsk,” Jaehyun rolls his eyes even though it hurts doing so. “You got siblings? Girlfriend, boyfriend? Spouse?"</p><p>"What is this, 20 questions? We're literally about to get ripped into pieces."</p><p>Jaehyun sighs exasperatedly. "That’s <em>why </em>I wanna know more about you. Let’s savor our time. Fine, I’ll give you my answers. I’m an only child and I’m very much single.”</p><p>“I have an older sister. Not in a relationship, unless you wanna change that?”</p><p>The younger looks at him with comically wide eyes that Taeyong copies for the fun of it. “Are you flirting with me?”</p><p>“What makes you think that? But hey, I’m just saying, if this is gonna be our last day then you might as well date me. Don’t live your last seconds regretfully.” Taeyong snorts and looks at the pitiful lamp on the desk. If they’d be given another chance, he’d like to make it happen.</p><p>A soft smile blooms on Jaehyun’s face. “I would love to have met you in a different situation. Would you have still dropped by that Quick Track store, though?”</p><p>“Maybe. My clients are all over Lubbock. We’d meet eventually.”</p><p>“And what would you do then?”</p><p>Taeyong looks at him with a dull, teasing glint in his tired eyes. “Ask for your number because you’re my type.”</p><p>A twist in his chest makes Jaehyun’s eyes sting. It’s so tragic, really. “…Even though we’ve only been together for a few days, I feel like I’ve known you for so long. It’s weird, isn’t it? I was just asking basic questions a while ago.”</p><p>“Would you have given me your number?” Taeyong pokes his arm.</p><p>“Yeah? You were so rude to me back at the store but I couldn’t deny that you’re really handsome.” Jaehyun would’ve loved to push further and test how easy it’d be to make Taeyong crumble but the zombies are howling again. They’re near. “I guess that’s enough flirting…”</p><p>“Where are you going?” Taeyong asks as Jaehyun stands up.</p><p>Jaehyun shrugs. “The only good thing about this is people left their cars for us people with bad luck to use. We can transfer from one to another when we run out of gas.” He helps Taeyong up just as <em>they </em>start banging their fists on the coiling gate of the wide window. Jaehyun and Taeyong step back, slowly.</p><p>“You can still run, right?”</p><p>Taeyong nods. “You’re limping.”</p><p>“I’ll be fine.” Jaehyun takes out his gun and cocks it. “You still have yours?”</p><p>“Mm.”</p><p>“Alright.” Suddenly struck with bravery, Jaehyun leads Taeyong to the back door. He opens it and peeks inside, seeing that the zombies are only lingering at the front. They try to be invisible as much as possible as they head to an SUV parked approximately ten feet away from the clinic, but there’s too many of <em>them </em>and one will eventually notice their movements.</p><p>Hearing the mad groaning, followed by the rest of them, Jaehyun and Taeyong sprint to the vehicle. They fire back, uncaring if they aim well as long as they lessen those running towards them. Jaehyun is struck with adrenaline as he shoots the car’s door, unlocking it and quickly getting behind the wheel. Thankfully, the windows are thick enough not to break under the undead’s relentless pounding.</p><p>There’s no key.</p><p>“Key,” Jaehyun frantically looks around. “Taeyong there’s no key!”</p><p>“Can’t you hotwire?!” Taeyong rips off the cover of the column and pulls out a bundle of wires, stripping them before sparking them together. “Come on come on come on, fucking work!” A heavy pound lands on the window to his side and leaves a crack. When the engine revs, Taeyong pops off the metal keyhole to break the steering lock. “It’s good! Now go!”</p><p>Jaehyun reverses and the car wobbles as it runs over a corpse before he slams a foot on the gas, speeding. But they’ve stalled long enough for some of them to climb on top, continuously pounding down the roof.</p><p>One dangles over the passenger’s side and hisses, yellow teeth and pulpy flesh hitting the window. It punches repeatedly until Taeyong gets fed up and shoots, watching the corpse fall off the car. He then reclines to kick off the rest of the shattered glass before slipping out the upper half of his body.</p><p>“Taeyong! Get back in!”</p><p>“You–you motherfuckers just won’t get the fuck off, will you?!” Taeyong shoots at them once, twice, thrice, and he loses count when he lets go of the last bullet. He ends up dragging one off by the sparse hair, screaming profanities at the top of his lungs and even more when one grabs him by the arm. Taeyong lands the hardest punch he has ever given and unhinges its jaw before it falls off pathetically.</p><p>Jaehyun reprimands him unnecessarily when he slides back in the passenger. “You, and I can’t stress this enough, are insane! What were you thinking?!”</p><p>“I don’t know, they were so annoying! You have to agree with me on that.” Taeyong sits through Jaehyun’s loud ass complaints for the next few minutes, knowing what he did was actually fucking risky, totally asking for the grim reaper to pick him up by a scythe to the throat.</p><p>Eventually, Jaehyun gets tired spitting words after words. He takes a deep breath and focuses on driving, careful not to let another zombie cause their second accident.</p><p>Silence cloaks them. It’s not comfortable, but Jaehyun is content with it.</p><p>“Let’s just keep driving until the car stops, alright? I don’t know where to go…” Jaehyun sighs and grips the wheel tighter. “Let’s see where it takes us. Taeyong?”</p><p>He takes a quick glance at his companion and notes the way Taeyong shivers, arms wrapped around himself. But he’s also sweating too, skin now sickly pale. “Taeyong, are you okay? What’s going on? Are you cold?” Jaehyun uselessly turns off the AC. “What do you need?”</p><p>Taeyong sniffs and cracks one eye open to look at him. “I don’t know. My insides are freezing <em>and </em>burning at the same fucking time. It feels like….my organs are shifting places. I actually feel like my ribs are breaking one by one.”</p><p>“God, Taeyong. Did you actually break them when we toppled over?”</p><p>The older man’s teeth chatter as the wind hits him. He swallows a scream from a crippling pain caused by one of his hands suddenly bending far back in its own accord. Jaehyun cannot possibly miss the nasty sound of a breaking bone.</p><p>Taeyong’s head lolls back on the seat as he looks at the road ahead before glancing down his arm.</p><p>There he sees, a bite mark.</p><p>The laughter starts soft, gradually getting louder until he’s just losing it completely. Taeyong’s laugh leaves echoes in its wake.  It doesn’t even register to him anymore that he might be awakening the slumbering corpses.</p><p>A rough cough rips through him when the same hand bends backwards, almost tearing itself off.</p><p>A zombie transformation is totally agonizing, he muses.</p><p>“Taeyong…?”</p><p>“I’m sorry, Jaehyun,” he says, wiping off the tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. “I’m so, fucking sorry.”</p><p>“What the hell are you saying?” Jaehyun keeps looking between him and the road in a mixture of frustration and worry. He looks at Taeyong again and for some reason, his gaze gets pulled to the other’s arm and sees <em>it.</em></p><p>Everything crumbles – his last bit of hope and will to survive.</p><p>Taeyong chuckles. “I was so mad and occupied with throwing them off that I didn’t notice it. Didn’t feel the pain ‘til the adrenaline wears off.” He groans and toys with the gun thoughtlessly as Jaehyun silently cries next to him. “I’m so stupid but this is going to happen sooner or later.”</p><p>Jaehyun’s heart breaks into tiny specks, blown away as the harsh wind takes it. He doesn’t even know what to say, only reduced to a pitiful, crying mess. He also badly wants to hope this isn’t real, that Taeyong won’t turn and be like <em>them</em>, but it’s there. It’s screaming at him.</p><p>More tears fall out of his eyes to clear his sight, when he feels a gentle nudge to his side. Taeyong is looking at him despondently.</p><p>“I’m sorry we didn’t get bitten together.”</p><p>“What am I gonna do?” Jaehyun despairs even more when he sees the gradual change on Taeyong’s appearance. It won’t be long before he becomes a replica of those monsters. “Taeyong, I don’t want to be alone…”</p><p>“We can’t add more to their population, you know. I know I’m only one, but that’s one less corpse to fear.” Taeyong sighs as he checks the magazine. “My extra fell out earlier. I have no more bullets.” He throws the weapon out of the window and looks at Jaehyun expectantly. “Will you do the honor of–”</p><p>“I am not shooting you!” Jaehyun glares at him and hurts even more – but he knows that no matter how much pain he’s put in, Taeyong is probably feeling even worse. “We’ll find help and..and…and they can do something about it, okay? M-maybe suck the poison out of you!”</p><p>Taeyong slowly shakes his head, eyes never leaving the younger. He wants Jaehyun to be the last thing he sees before he becomes something that won’t recognize him. “I can feel it, Jaehyun. There’s not much time before it happens. Before I hurt you.”</p><p>“And you think I’d live longer if I killed you? My guilt will kill me! You’re not just some stranger, okay? How could you even–”</p><p>They both know that it’s the rational thing to do – to kill Taeyong before he turns.</p><p>But then again, all the rationality of this world vanished the moment those creatures spread and took over. There’s no rational choice anymore. Whatever Jaehyun chooses to do is nothing but a decision that bears its own importance to him.</p><p>Right now, he can’t simply think of another person’s well-being but his own. Even if Taeyong doesn’t turn, the world is still plagued by the living dead, and Jaehyun will still fall into a miserable fate.</p><p>Taeyong cries out in pain as he doubles over, clutching his stomach. Blood gushes out of his side where a rib pokes through his skin. Jaehyun steps on the break and quickly gets out of the car to help Taeyong climb out.</p><p>“Just a little more,” Jaehyun has one of his arms on Taeyong’s back, the other under his legs as he carries him to the grassy ground. He sits down with a groan and holds Taeyong close, tucking the older man’s face on the crook of his neck. “It hurts, doesn’t it?”</p><p>“You know…that doing this won’t kill me, right? I won’t <em>really </em>die, Jaehyun. I’ll wake up again and hurt you, and then everybody.” Taeyong heaves, slipping in and out of consciousness as his insides start deteriorating.</p><p>“Shh, you’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna be fine. Let me hold you.” Jaehyun presses a kiss to the side of Taeyong’s head and chokes on a sob. “Don’t talk anymore. I won’t go anywhere.”</p><p>“Jaehyun, let’s…meet again, shall we?”</p><p>Jaehyun presses his lips firmly together, nodding as he looks up the vast, gloomy sky. “Mm, let’s.”</p><p>They sit there, cold and tragic, with Jaehyun humming a lullaby as Taeyong’s breathing slows down and eventually comes to a full stop.</p><p>He sits there, calm as he waits.</p><p>When he feels <em>it </em>jerk in his arms, Jaehyun takes a deep breath to prepare himself for the worst.</p><p>The corpse growls and clutches his arms before unhinging its mouth.</p><p>And then the world turns black.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>∞∞∞</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’m running out of excuses to tell their classmates,” Johnny takes a swig of the soda in can but only gets a drop before tossing it in the bin. “I wasn’t born to be a liar, you know.”</p><p>Yuta snorts from where he stands in between the portals, knocking once where Taeyong is in. They’ve been monitoring the two, waiting for them to wake up. The progress of their characters is encoded in the computer, but it’s not being updated real time. The game is only halfway developed anyway. “At this point, Korea could do its remake of Sleeping Beauty, only that both Aurora and her Prince Charming are fucking sleeping.”</p><p>“And it’s not like any of our kisses are gonna work. They need their true love’s kiss, so you know how it’s gonna end. It’s kinda impressive how they managed to play this long, though.”</p><p>The computer encodes another update. This time, Jaehyun and Taeyong just met the group that will convince them to stay together. Yuta leans against the wall, arms crossed. “Yeah, but while they’re having <em>fun </em>there, we’re dying here from worry. It also shows how much improvement this game needs. I’m never inviting over these not-yet-boyfriends again. They give me headache meant for people in their 30s who are stuck with an office job, with no partner and only has two cats waiting at home!”</p><p>Johnny rolls his eyes at the other’s drama. “That’s so specific–” He pauses when he sees Taeyong open his eyes and quickly rushes to him. “Taeyong! Taeyong, you’re awake!”</p><p>Like him, Yuta loses his composure as he frantically helps a groggy Taeyong out of the portal before pulling him in a bone-crushing hug that ends too soon. “OH GOD, WE’RE SO WORRIED! What the fuck! Do you know how scared we were?!” He vaguely takes note of the chip losing its grip from Taeyong’s temple before falling.</p><p>Taeyong rubs his eyes, looking like what he usually does in the morning. Cute and sleepy. “You wouldn’t believe what happened to us in <em>Dead Meat, </em>Yuta…” He yawns, looking so much like a cat. It’s uncanny.</p><p>“Shut up, we kind of have an idea, alright? We literally created it.”</p><p>Behind them, Johnny watches with an astounded expression.</p><p>The blue-haired man blinks a few times, lower lip jutted out. “Jaehyunie?” He looks at the second portal and gasps. “Why isn’t he awake yet?”</p><p>“Why did you wake up earlier?”</p><p>“I got bitten by a zombie and turned into one! But Jaehyun–”</p><p>In that moment, Jaehyun lets out a groan as he shifts in the portal before slowly opening his eyes. “God… Why does my head hurt–”</p><p>
  <em> Smack! </em>
</p><p>“What the…!” Jaehyun cups his cheek, staring at Yuta in muted disbelief.</p><p>“I bet this was YOUR idea! Sweet, smart Taeyong wouldn’t even–”</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, wait a sec!” Jaehyun unfastens himself from the portal and stumbles on his way out. “We were drunk as hell but I remember we both agreed trying out the game. And…and that…” Right then, he’s flooded by memories of what happened before they got in the portals. The hand-holding, hugging, the <em>feeling…</em></p><p>Jaehyun looks at a blushing Taeyong. <em>His cheeks are so bite-able. </em>“Anyway, did I really deserve that slap? After all that shit we went through….” Recalling their experience in the game, Jaehyun visibly shivers. “It was traumatizing! I will never buy your game! How could you create such a wicked–aw, ouch!”</p><p>The chip on his temple sparks before falling off. Jaehyun steps away from it as electricity continues to hiss from it. “What the? Did it burn?”</p><p>Yuta grabs his face and turns it sideways, squinting. “You’re bleeding. Wipe it.” He bends down to pick up the chip but gets electrocuted, shaking his hand with a wince. “Fucking shit, that hurt. Ah, whatever. It’s probably overheated. Anyway,” he straightens and glares at both Taeyong and Jaehyun. “You guys gave us the fright of our lives. We thought you wouldn’t come back. We actually wished your character would die sooner, stupid ‘lil shits.”</p><p>“But wow, you pulled through for days so it means you kinda did a good job? The only downside is you had us stitch lies after lies to people looking for you.” Johnny waves a hand dismissively. “Don’t give me that suspecting look, Taeyong. We didn’t have a choice. We can’t reveal about the game until the competition. But don’t worry, the lies aren’t bad.”</p><p>“What lies?”</p><p>“We told them you guys eloped because you love each other very much and couldn’t bear being apart so you flew to Taiwan and got married.”</p><p>Jaehyun sags, half dumbfounded and half panicking. “Are you for real?”</p><p>“What? It’s believable! Everyone thinks you’re together. Remember the gooey eyes?”</p><p>Yuta rubs his nose, face crumpled. “I don’t know what I was expecting but didn’t you like, I don’t know, flirt at least once in the game? Jaehyun, you’ve been pining over Taeyong since God knows when!”</p><p>The youngest of them pales from embarrassment, even more when he feels Taeyong’s eyes on him. “H-how did you know we flirted?”</p><p>“J-jaehyunie?” Taeyong says, unsure. “You…like me?” He gazes at Jaehyun hopefully, big puppy eyes and all while gripping the hem of his shirt.</p><p>Jaehyun wants to kiss and cuddle him forever.</p><p>“Damn, let’s leave them alone for now. Hey, we’ll bust your asses later, alright? Don’t think we forgot what you did.” Johnny tugs a complaining Yuta out of the room, slamming the door close.</p><p>Taeyong approaches the younger as the blush on his cheeks deepened, making him look like a vibrant red rose. “Jaehyunie, we flirted in the game…”</p><p>Is this it? Is Taeyong going to finally reject him and say he’s in love with someone else? After everything they did together in <em>Dead Meat</em>, being partners through hellfire, is he now going to say that even the chemistry is fictional?</p><p>Jaehyun isn’t ready, but there’s no way out. “Yeah. I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”</p><p>“No!” Taeyong exclaims, now gripping the front of Jaehyun’s shirt. “I’m not uncomfortable. But I wanna ask if…if you just liked me there or if you like the real me?”</p><p>“…I’ve been crushing on you since we were teens.”</p><p>There. The secret is out. Jaehyun will accept whatever happens – not everybody gets everything they want. As long as they remain friends, it’s enough.</p><p>Rather than walking away like Jaehyun expects him to, Taeyong pouts before burying his face on the younger’s shoulder. “You’re so silly! I believe our characters had some of our real emotions, you know. So if that Taeyong liked you, it’s real. Jaehyunie, I like you too.”</p><p>
  <em> What? </em>
</p><p>Arms wrap around his waist to pull him in a hug. “I’m telling the truth. I really like you a lot. Jaehyunie, I’m glad that it was just a game and we didn’t really part so tragically!” Taeyong looks up with a pair of glassy eyes. “I don’t wanna leave you.”</p><p>He’s been dreaming of this. Jaehyun has been dreaming of this since the day he realized he was into his best friend. Without wasting another second, he cups Taeyong’s cheeks and plants a light kiss on those thin, pink lips. “Are we boyfriends now?” Jaehyun is on cloud nine. “There will be more dates than our fridates then?”</p><p>“If you want?” A soft, melodic giggle slips out of Taeyong. “Come on now, we have to say sorry to them. And…and we stink, Jaehyunie! We haven’t showered yet!”</p><p>Jaehyun allows his older boyfriend to pull him out of the room, grinning. “Wanna shower together?”</p><p>“Eh? No!” The redness that covers Taeyong’s face and runs down his neck says otherwise. “The cashier Jaehyun in <em>Dead Meat </em>wouldn’t say such a thing! Why were you even a cashier in the first place? I was a badass!”</p><p>Jaehyun hugs him from behind as they walk. “I don’t know, baby. We were drunk, remember? I’m not even questioning your character choices.”</p><p>“Because I was hot!”</p><p>“You <em>are </em>hot.”</p><p>Never again will Jaehyun willingly play that game even if he gets paid a million dollars. It’s brilliant, but’s it’s a long, vivid nightmare. Even until now that he’s wide awake and fully aware it’s just fictional, the image of those zombies still haunts him and leaves goosebumps on his skin. He even catches a whiff of them on himself.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Back inside the room, Jaehyun’s chip continues to spark. Distorted rays of electricity coil and hiss before the tiny piece of metal blows up and fills the room with dark smoke.</p><p>As it gradually clears, a silhouette makes itself known – glitching and pixelated at first and then full and solid, creating a tangible figure.</p><p>And then the smoke dissipates just as the figure emits a disturbing howl.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for clicking on it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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